Building Engagement with Your Dog – Dogster
Sponsored content brought to you by Sleepypod
We’ve all seen it: the dog who watches his owner intently for the next word, who checks in with his human partner when hiking off leash or even the patient pup who frequently checks in with his human partner. These are examples of engagement between the dog and the pet parent. Engagement is having a connection with our dogs.
As a dog trainer and pet parent, I strongly believe engagement is one of the most important things we can work to develop with our dogs. Strong engagement gives us a focused, involved and happily willing pet partner. We shouldn’t force engagement, but we can build it through various ways and flourish engagement together.
To understand engagement, it helps to understand what it is not. Engagement is not a dog who is fixated or obsessed with a reward, such as toys or food or even barking to grab your attention. An engaged dog wants to focus and work with you, paying attention to you no matter what you are doing or where you are together.
Creating engagement does not magically happen overnight. It’s a process that requires work and time. Here are tips to get you on your way:
-
Start with Your Routine Walk
The top way to build engagement with your dog is to reward him when he engages with you. When you are out on a walk together, reward your dog every time he looks up at you. Reward right away, making sure your timing is immediate so your dog understands the relationship between the action and the reward. I often use a marker word, such as “Yes” as my dog looks at me and then go in with my reward. And, of course, reward with something better than kibble, like a tasty treat.
-
Graduate to “Watch”
The next step is to teach your dog a “Watch” behavior. Once this is a learned behavior and your dog begins to offer it, reward your dog for naturally looking at you and engaging with eye contact when you aren’t specifically asking for it. This can lead to an offered behavior the more you teach and reward, leading to your dog watching you and offering engagement with you.
-
Trick Training
Trick training gives you an opportunity to show your dog how much fun training can be. Training together helps your dog to understand your communication and the rewards that come with training, all while keeping your dog focused on you. These are all things that grow your bond and grows the drive to engage with you.
-
Playtime
Every dog deserves play. When you take the time to play with your dog, you build that strong bond. Let him win games every now and then to keep it fun!
By building engagement you will soon have a dog who has a stronger bond with you, enjoys training, is less stressed in new situations and is easier to train and get to focus no matter where you go together. Have fun training together!
About the Author: Nicole Ellis, CPDT-KA, is a celebrity dog trainer based in Los Angeles. She has trained everything from bears to tigers to leopards as well as household dogs and cats. Nicole has appeared on Amazon’s The Pack, The Today Show, NBC, Fox, MSN, Mashable, Pet360, Travel+Leisure, Huffington Post and more.
Related: Use Food to Engage Your Dog
I precisely wished to thank you very much all over again. I do not know what I would’ve sorted out without these smart ideas revealed by you directly on such field. It has been an absolute alarming difficulty for me personally, however , understanding a new expert technique you resolved that took me to weep over fulfillment. I’m just happy for your advice and as well , sincerely hope you really know what a powerful job that you are getting into training other individuals thru your website. Most likely you’ve never come across any of us.
I enjoy you because of all of your efforts on this site. My daughter takes pleasure in making time for investigation and it’s really easy to understand why. We hear all relating to the lively way you offer both useful and interesting guidelines by means of your web site and inspire contribution from website visitors on this theme so our daughter is now learning a great deal. Have fun with the remaining portion of the new year. Your carrying out a superb job.
Thanks a lot for giving everyone an extraordinarily memorable chance to read critical reviews from here. It can be so fantastic and as well , full of a good time for me and my office co-workers to visit your blog really thrice weekly to learn the fresh guidance you have. And of course, I’m actually satisfied concerning the astounding concepts you serve. Selected 2 ideas on this page are definitely the very best we have all had.
I and my friends ended up reviewing the nice techniques on your web site and so before long came up with a horrible feeling I had not expressed respect to the website owner for those strategies. All the people had been as a consequence glad to read all of them and now have clearly been taking advantage of them. Appreciate your actually being simply thoughtful and then for making a decision on variety of cool things most people are really needing to discover. Our own honest regret for not expressing gratitude to earlier.
I happen to be writing to let you understand what a wonderful encounter my wife’s daughter found browsing the blog. She noticed some pieces, which include how it is like to possess an ideal giving nature to have the others easily completely grasp some grueling things. You truly exceeded people’s desires. I appreciate you for churning out these great, safe, informative and even unique tips on the topic to Ethel.
Thanks a lot for giving everyone an extraordinarily special opportunity to discover important secrets from this blog. It’s usually very enjoyable and full of a lot of fun for me and my office acquaintances to search your site a minimum of three times every week to read through the fresh items you have got. And of course, we are actually happy for the powerful tricks served by you. Certain 4 areas in this post are in fact the best I have had.
I precisely desired to thank you very much once more. I’m not certain the things I would have created without those secrets shown by you about that problem. Entirely was a very horrifying condition for me, but taking note of a specialized manner you resolved it made me to cry for gladness. Extremely thankful for this support and in addition hope you comprehend what a powerful job that you are providing teaching some other people through your web page. More than likely you have never come across all of us.
I am also commenting to make you know what a fabulous discovery my cousin’s girl found browsing yuor web blog. She noticed so many pieces, not to mention what it is like to possess a very effective teaching mindset to have folks easily comprehend chosen complex matters. You undoubtedly did more than people’s desires. Many thanks for supplying the effective, trusted, revealing not to mention easy tips on that topic to Julie.
My spouse and i got really thrilled that John could complete his analysis from the ideas he discovered using your blog. It is now and again perplexing to simply possibly be handing out techniques that people could have been selling. So we acknowledge we have got the website owner to give thanks to for this. All the illustrations you have made, the simple website navigation, the relationships you can help to create – it is many terrific, and it is assisting our son in addition to us consider that this subject matter is amusing, which is certainly exceptionally fundamental. Thank you for all the pieces!
Thanks a lot for providing individuals with an extremely spectacular opportunity to read from this web site. It is always so sweet and jam-packed with amusement for me and my office fellow workers to visit your blog a minimum of 3 times every week to read through the new guidance you have got. And definitely, I am certainly fulfilled concerning the impressive thoughts you serve. Certain 2 facts on this page are completely the most impressive I’ve ever had.
I precisely needed to thank you very much again. I do not know the things that I could possibly have undertaken in the absence of the type of points shared by you about such concern. It was before a very horrifying concern for me personally, but finding out this specialised fashion you dealt with that forced me to jump with happiness. Now i’m thankful for the information and then pray you really know what a powerful job your are undertaking teaching the others with the aid of a web site. I’m certain you have never encountered all of us.
I and also my pals were actually checking the best items found on the blog and at once I had a horrible suspicion I never thanked you for those tips. My women came as a consequence warmed to read through all of them and have now actually been using these things. Many thanks for getting well considerate and for utilizing this sort of smart tips most people are really wanting to know about. Our sincere apologies for not expressing gratitude to you sooner.
I’m typically to blogging and i actually recognize your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your website and maintain checking for brand new information.
I enjoy you because of all your hard work on this site. My mother take interest in conducting investigation and it is easy to see why. A lot of people notice all concerning the compelling mode you offer both interesting and useful guidelines via your website and as well as attract participation from website visitors on that issue plus our daughter is in fact learning a great deal. Have fun with the remaining portion of the new year. You are conducting a very good job.
I have to show appreciation to you for bailing me out of such a crisis. Just after researching throughout the search engines and finding concepts that were not helpful, I assumed my entire life was done. Existing without the answers to the issues you have resolved all through your main blog post is a critical case, and the ones that would have in a negative way damaged my career if I hadn’t encountered your website. The understanding and kindness in handling almost everything was helpful. I’m not sure what I would have done if I had not encountered such a subject like this. I can now look forward to my future. Thank you very much for the reliable and results-oriented help. I will not be reluctant to endorse your web sites to any person who needs and wants counselling about this area.
I happen to be commenting to let you be aware of what a perfect discovery my wife’s child found browsing yuor web blog. She picked up a good number of details, not to mention what it is like to possess a great helping heart to get folks just grasp specified multifaceted topics. You truly surpassed our desires. Many thanks for supplying the precious, safe, informative and even fun tips about your topic to Kate.
Thank you a lot for giving everyone an extremely remarkable possiblity to read articles and blog posts from here. It is always so pleasing and also jam-packed with fun for me and my office acquaintances to visit your web site minimum 3 times a week to find out the newest issues you have. And indeed, we’re actually happy with your powerful thoughts you give. Some 4 tips on this page are surely the most effective we have had.
I enjoy you because of your own efforts on this website. Ellie delights in participating in investigation and it’s easy to see why. My spouse and i know all concerning the lively way you present invaluable guidelines through the web blog and attract contribution from the others on this subject while our favorite child is starting to learn a whole lot. Enjoy the rest of the new year. You’re the one conducting a glorious job.
dark market link darknet market list deep web links
I’m also writing to let you understand of the fabulous discovery my friend’s daughter experienced browsing your site. She realized such a lot of things, most notably what it’s like to possess an excellent giving character to make the mediocre ones with ease know just exactly specified advanced topics. You actually exceeded people’s expectations. I appreciate you for coming up with the valuable, trustworthy, revealing and also easy guidance on the topic to Ethel.
I as well as my friends were found to be checking out the excellent tricks from your web page then unexpectedly I got a terrible suspicion I never expressed respect to you for those tips. These young men are already consequently very interested to see all of them and have in effect in truth been making the most of these things. Thank you for genuinely considerably thoughtful and then for having this form of good information most people are really eager to know about. My honest apologies for not expressing gratitude to earlier.
darknet markets links darknet market darkmarket 2024
You made some first rate factors there. I looked on the internet for the problem and located most people will go together with along with your website.
I just wanted to post a brief remark to be able to thank you for some of the marvelous advice you are sharing at this site. My particularly long internet look up has finally been rewarded with extremely good facts to talk about with my pals. I would believe that we visitors are unquestionably endowed to be in a fine community with so many brilliant professionals with great points. I feel somewhat privileged to have used the web page and look forward to some more pleasurable minutes reading here. Thank you again for all the details.
I have to voice my passion for your kindness supporting men and women who really want guidance on this one subject. Your real dedication to passing the message all over came to be especially advantageous and have usually enabled ladies much like me to realize their desired goals. The valuable key points denotes a great deal to me and substantially more to my colleagues. Thank you; from all of us.